A tongue-zapping implant could soon help you get a good night sleep

Every night, millions of people go to bed and fall asleep only to wake up. Again. And again. And again.

They gasp for air and snore – loudly. They’re at a greater risk of heart disease, stroke, memory loss and Type 2 diabetes.

They all have sleep apnoea, a condition that scientists have introduced a novel way of treating – an implant that zaps your tongue.

The app-controlled device tickles the hypoglossal nerve, which controls the tongue muscles, to move the tongue and keep the airway open during sleep.

And this is a breath of fresh air for those suffering from obstructive sleep apnoea, a common form of the condition which sees the walls of the throat relax and narrow or close.

Around one in eight Britons suffer from sleep apnoea, according to the Sleep Apnoea Trust. However, experts say the true figure is likely far higher given that up to 80% of adults with this treatable condition remain undiagnosed.

Among them is Natalie Boller, 63, one of two patients fitted with the Genio Nyxoah implant this month. The procedure takes three hours.

The mother of six from East Sussex said: ‘I’ve had sleep apnoea for 10 years now and everything I’ve tried has failed. I was very hopeful about the surgery.’

‘They implanted it under the muscle, it’s a very delicate surgery. They didn’t damage any nerves, I can still wiggle my tongue and swallow,’ she added.

‘I’m glad I went through with it and now I’m looking forward to the next step of having it activated.’

One treatment for sleep apnoea is a CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure, breathing machine. Each night, people strap on the masks connected by a tube to a machine that pushes through air to keep their airways open.

‘I tried it for a whole year but I just found it impossible to get comfortable,’ Boller said.

But Boller said the implant is less intrusive. During the operation, surgeons make a 6cm incision below the chin and use a microscope to figure out what nerves make the tongue bulge.

An external chip stuck to the chin with an adhesive patch stimulates the tongue while the patient sleep – the intensity can be adjusted with a smartphone app.

During the day, this patch can be peeled off and the chip recharged.

Boller is now looking forward to going out for hikes, cycling and taking care of her two grandchildren.

‘I would like to be as active as possible but I’ve been prevented from doing this because I’m always tired,’ she added.

The Genio Nyxoah implant is one of two nerve stimulators offered by the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH).

The other, Inspire, has been given to 22 people so far.

Consultant ENT and sleep surgeon, Ryan Chin Taw Cheong, said the device is a ‘pacemaker for the tongue’.

‘I’m very optimistic about the way things are moving, and I’m hoping that we will be able to make this technology and make this implant more available for the right patients.’

Rather than under the chin, Inspire is fitted in the chest with a lead connecting the stimulator to one side of the nerve. A remote control is used to change the intensity.

Olivia Rushton, 48, of Northamptonshire, had the operation in June. Her breath used to pause for 10 seconds about 65 times an hour every night.

Since the treatment, her breathing splutters only 25 times or so an hour.

‘This is only halfway through the journey. They’re going to have me back in for another sleep study early next year,’ she added.

Cheong said the implant gadgets are game-changers. To be eligible, patients must have moderate to very severe sleep apnoea, a body mass index of below 35, and must have tried using a CPAP.

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